How to Winterize Your Power Lawn Mower

The last of your autumn leaves have been raked, but there's one last important chore to do - put your lawn mower to bed. Neglecting to empty the gas tank and perform other end-of-season care can shorten your mower's life considerably, and can lead to costly repairs.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Penetrating Oil
• Gardening Gloves
• Motor Oil
• Scrub Brushes
• Steel Wool

1. Empty the fuel tank. The easiest way to do this is simply to start the mower and leave it running until it runs out of gas. Leave it empty until you're ready to use it again next spring.

2. Empty the oil tank, if your mower has one.

3. Turn the mower on its side. Hose it down to soften dried grass and dirt; use a stick to scrape off any stubborn materials. Scrub with a soft brush and hot, soapy water to remove greasy matter. Rinse, and allow to dry thoroughly.

4. Remove any rust by rubbing the affected area vigorously with a small piece of steel wool. (Be sure to wear gloves.)

5. Remove the mower blade and either sharpen it yourself or take it to a professional sharpener, usually listed in the yellow pages under "Lawn Mowers - Sharpening and Repair."

6. Clean or replace your air filter. These should be changed once or twice during the mowing season. If the filter is paper, replace it. If the filter is made of paper and foam, remove the foam part and wash it in warm, soapy water; let it dry thoroughly. If the filter is plastic foam, remove it and wash it in warm, soapy water; allow it to dry thoroughly; and once it's dry, work a tablespoon or two of clean motor oil evenly across and into the filter - just enough to lightly coat it.

7. Refill the mower's oil tank with fresh oil. Leave the gas tank empty until you're ready to use the mower in the spring.

8. Check your lawn mower maintenance manual for other suggested season's-end care.

Tips & Warnings

• Protect the mower blade from rust and moisture during the winter by giving it a light spray of penetrating oil. (A popular brand name is WD-40.)

• Dispose of your old mower oil properly. Never dump it on the ground - or worse yet, in a drain or sewer. Instead, check with local filling stations, many of which collect old motor oil for environmentally correct disposal. If you can't find a station to take it, call your garbage collection service to find out the correct way to dispose of hazardous waste in your area.